ICT for Development

ICT4D / ICT4DEV

Information and communication technology (ICT) refers to a wide array of technologies and applications, from more traditional ones such as radio, television, and print media to more sophisticated and newer technologies and applications such as the Internet, information management, e-health and e-business applications.

ICT for Development relates to the use of ICT for development purposes. It involves the integration of ICT into broader development projects such as the delivery of basic education or health care in rural and remote regions in developing countries.

ICT applied and integrated into development can help improve:

• communication―quick and easy access, dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge
  
• productivity―improved efficiency, competitiveness, and responsiveness of institutions, firms, and markets
  
• accountability―increased transparency in the governance of private and public institutions as well as in regulatory and policy decision-making processes
  
• inclusivity―increased access for poor and marginalized groups to services, information, knowledge, and resources
  
• empowerment―greater voice for men and women in public decision-making processes

ICT comprises three principal categories: 

information technologies―computer hardware, software, and peripherals, and computer literacyICT comprises three principal categories:

telecommunication technologies―telephone systems, radio and television broadcasting, satellites, mobile telephony, and other broadband connectivity

networking technologies―Internet and a broad array of Internet-based applications